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NDTV
8 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
What Is 'Doomsday Plane' Spotted In US Skies Amid Iran-Israel Conflict
New Delhi: As tensions continue to flare between Israel and Iran, and Washington ponders over potential military action against the Islamic Republic, one of the US' most secretive aircraft quietly entered the skies above the US capital. On the night of June 17, the E-4B Nightwatch — a hardened airborne command centre built to keep America's top defence and security officials operational during a nuclear crisis — made a flight to Joint Base Andrews. Known as the 'doomsday plane,' the aircraft was spotted by flight trackers taking an unusually circuitous route to Washington, triggering speculation about its timing and purpose. What is the E-4B Nightwatch? The E-4B Nightwatch is a militarised version of the Boeing 747-200. It was repurposed by the US military into a flying war room. It is formally known as the National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC) and is designed to function as a mobile command post during a nuclear conflict or national catastrophe. When ground-based communication or leadership infrastructure is compromised, the E-4B helps top American officials to continue coordinating operations from the sky. It functions as an airborne command centre, enabling the President, Secretary of Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff to maintain command, control and communication capabilities during times of national emergency. Why is it called the 'doomsday plane'? The aircraft is built to withstand nuclear blasts, electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) and other extreme disruptions. It is often described as the 'flying Pentagon' because of its ability to operate as a command-and-control centre even in the event of full-scale war. The E-4B has an unrefuelled endurance of 12 hours, but with mid-air refuelling, it is known to have remained airborne for as long as 35.4 hours, according to a report in The New York Post. Is its recent flight a cause of concern? E-4B flights are not uncommon. They are conducted regularly to maintain operational readiness — this particular sortie stood out. As per data from flight tracking site FlightRadar, the aircraft departed Bossier City, Louisiana, shortly before 6 pm, local time, on June 17 and touched down in Maryland around 10 pm, The New York Times reported. What drew attention was the flight path, which curved along the eastern coastline and looped over Virginia and North Carolina before heading to Maryland. Even more unusual was the callsign — instead of the routine ORDER6, the aircraft used ORDER01. E-4B flight amid geopolitical tensions? The flight coincided with an escalation in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. US President Donald Trump has demanded Iran's 'unconditional surrender' as the conflict continues to escalate, according to AP. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a warning to the US, threatening 'irreparable damage' if it directly intervened. FlightRadar data showed two Iranian government aircraft departed the country's airspace on Wednesday for Oman. It fuelled speculation that Iranian officials might be evacuating amid rising tensions, or that urgent diplomatic talks were being arranged in Muscat, Oman's capital, reported The New York Post. How many E-4B aircraft are there? The United States Air Force operates four E-4Bs, all as part of the 1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron. At any given time, at least one aircraft is on high alert and ready for immediate deployment.
India Today
11 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
What is Doomsday Plane E-4B, and why has it landed in DC? Should the world be worried?
On the morning of September 11, 2001, soon after two commercial jets rammed into the World Trade Centre towers, the TV news suddenly flashed what many journalists referred to as "a surreal and unexplained sight" – a large, unmarked white jumbo jet circling low over Washington, DC, directly above the White mysterious aircraft was identified as an E-4B Nightwatch, or the "Doomsday Plane". It is a highly-modified Boeing 747-200 aircraft that serves as the National Airborne Operations Centre (NAOC) for the US airborne, it becomes a mobile Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Department of Defence. The aircraft is spotted so rarely that on the fateful day in 2001, CNN journalist John King, reporting live from Lafayette Park across the White House, noted that such airspace (around the White House) is "generally restricted", and the presence of this aircraft even made US Secret Service agents hyper-alert, as per author Mark H Gaffney's 2007 research paper: "Why Did the World's Most Advanced Electronics Warfare Plane Circle Over The White House on 9/11".NBC journalist Bob Kur called it "the most surreal of this morning's scenes," describing a very slow, low flyover, the research paper also rarely-seen plane was spotted landing at Joint Base Andrews in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, raising fresh concerns about the US's readiness for a potential large-scale conflict in West Asia, where Israel and Iran are engaged in a full-blown war over Iran's alleged nuclear media is abuzz with speculation that the "Nightwatch's" landing in DC shows heightened alertness within US defence the US Air Force has time and again maintained that such flights are routine, as one of the reportedly four planes in the fleet is always on "alert status", ready to launch within aircraft's appearance in the media during volatile times is also viewed as a demonstration of military readiness and strategic ROLE OF THE DOOMSDAY PLANEThe E-4B Nightwatch, or the Doomsday Plane, is the nickname for a specially-modified military aircraft designed to serve as a survivable airborne command centre in the event of a nuclear war or national aircraft ensures that US military and civilian leadership, most notably the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defence, and top military commanders, can continue to command and control American forces even if ground-based facilities are aircraft is operated by the US Air Force's Air Combat the aircraft can directly communicate with nuclear submarines, bombers, and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) silos. It is equipped with Very Low Frequency (VLF) and High Frequency (HF) antennas that allow global communications, even during nuclear E-4B IS A FORTRESS IN AIRadvertisementThe jumbo jet was built to withstand a nuclear blast, electromagnetic pulse (EMP), and other forms of electronic warfare. The plane does not even have windows in critical areas, as it is designed to reduce vulnerability to jet is also equipped with shielded wiring and hardening to continue operating under severe conditions. The Doomsday Plane can stay airborne for days as it has in-flight refuelling technology, and can accommodate over 110 personnel aircraft is continuously updated with the latest technologies, including modern digital communications and hardened systems for cyber is also reportedly the backup for the Air Force One aircraft for the US President's overseas trips. However, military commanders also use them for various missions.A common myth about the aircraft is that it can launch nuclear weapons. It is a command centre, and not a weapons ORIGINS OF THE AIRCRAFTThe E-4B Nightwatch was developed during the Cold War, first entering service in the 1970s. It was originally designed under the Looking Glass programme to ensure the US could retaliate in case of a nuclear first strike by the Soviet suggest that during the Cold War, at least one Doomsday Plane was always airborne. However, after the Soviet Union collapsed, the E-4B no longer flew 24/7 but remained on ground fleet, however, may reportedly be upgraded in the coming years, given its high maintenance costs and the need for modernised Watch
South China Morning Post
14-03-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
China's observatory in Chile in doubt as US raises concerns about potential military use
A planned Chinese observatory in Chile 's Atacama Desert is facing possible cancellation after US officials in recent months have raised concerns about its potential military applications. Advertisement The Chilean government is now reviewing the project and has not ruled out blocking the agreement between a local university and the National Astronomical Observatory of China (NAOC). Estimated to cost around US$80 million, the observatory was to be built on Cerro Ventarrones, a prime site for astronomical studies in Antofagasta, northern Chile. The project materialised through a partnership with Chile's Universidad Católica del Norte and was to form a key part of China's broader space strategy, which includes similar initiatives in Argentina and Venezuela A view of Las Campanas Observatory, managed by the US-based Carnegie Institution for Science, in the Atacama Desert near Vallenar, Chile, in 2021. Photo: Reuters The plan was for the facility to host some 100 telescopes, focusing on tracking deep-space astronomical events and near-Earth objects such as asteroids and comets. Chilean scientists were to have limited access to the facilities but could engage in joint research with Chinese researchers.
